Pope Paul IV began the building, then called the Casina del Boschetto, in the spring of 1558. The first mention of the single-story building is dated April 30, 1558. After Paul IV died in August 1559, Pope Pius IV took over, and the architect Pirro Ligorio improved the design. The complex was completed in 1562.
It stands in the Vatican Gardens, west of the Cortile del Belvedere. It has an elliptical courtyard, two free-standing portals and a loggia with a fountain. The exterior has rich stucco sculpture, once supplemented by about fifty ancient Roman sculptures. The article does not name an architectural style.
Frescoes by at least six major painters decorate the interior, including Federico Barocci and Federico Zuccari. Pope Pius XI made it the home of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in 1936.
Comments